The Los Angeles Lakers decided to use their amnesty clause on Metta World Peace last season, but he remains confident in their ability to perform, showing that by picking them to make the NBA Finals in this upcoming season.

World Peace, a new member of the Knicks, has to be aware the Lakers are not exactly favorites to come out of the West this year. Sporting News picked the Lakers to finish 11th, behind teams like the New Orleans Pelicans and Minnesota Timberwolves.

Metta World Peace is no longer a member of the LA Lakers, but he still predicts they will make the NBA Finals. (AP Photo)

Still, he's riding for his former franchise, even with Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and Pau Gasol all facing injury issues, not to mention the exodus of Dwight Howard to Houston. World Peace doesn't view any of the aforementioned as a problem, apparently.

"I think the Lakers are going to go to the NBA Finals," World Peace said on Wednesday, according to ESPNNewYork.com.

"I think Kobe [Bryant's] gonna be healthy, they're gonna get Pau [Gasol]. The Lakers are gonna make a big trade like they always do. They're gonna get another good player, boom, boom, and they're gonna go to the Finals. I believe it. Kobe's gonna come back, he's gonna play team ball, and Pau's gonna play well."

Although World Peace has a reputation for making nonsensical decisions—like changing his name to Metta World Peace—it makes sense that he would have faith in the Lakers, at least on a personal level. He played for the Lakers for four seasons and helped lead them to a title in 2009-10.

World Peace also had enough sense to shy away from the brewing Knicks-Nets rivalry, avoiding questions about Paul Pierce's claim that the Nets should run New York.

"I just want apple pie. I don't feel like talking," World Peace said. "I want to go to Whole Foods, enjoy my Whole Foods and play with my teammates. I don't have the energy to go back and forth with words because there's just too many great things happening in New York City for me to be going back and forth."

But, for all his confidence in the Lakers, World Peace made it clear he came to New York to win a championship.

"I've been starting for 15 years. I could've went to any other team I wanted to and started. I got calls from Oklahoma (City) and the Clippers, all these teams, but I came here and it wasn't to start, it was to win a ring."